Ore separator



Jan. 4, 1938. MaCcAMY 2,104,349

ORE SEPARATOR Filed April 1.5, 1955 3 SH'eets-Sheet l A Home-y Jan. 4,1938. H. .1. M CAMY 2,304,349

' ORE -SEPARATOR I Filed April 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Attorney H.J. "M CAMY Jan. 4, 1938.

ORE SEPARATOR Filed April 15, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 3 A for my PatentedJan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES oar: SEPARATOR Harry J. MacCamy, Spokane,Wash, assignor to Union Iron Works, Spokane. Wash.

Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,378

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in ore separators of theflotation type, and contemplates the use of separate tanks or cells,preferably arranged in pairs that communicate, and in which the ore pulpis successively treated to insure the extraction and recovery of amaximum quantity of thevalues. As'here illustrated, I have indicated apair of cells as forming a unit through which the ore pulp iscirculated,- but it will be understood that a single cell may beemployed as a unit, or more than two cells may operatively be connectedtogether for separation of the minerals or metals from their ores.

The ore is first thoroughly comminuted, mixed with the necessaryquantity of water and agencies to form the required pulp, and then thepulp is fed to or introduced into the cell at its bottom portion toprovide for an upward flow of the material during the separatingprocess. a second cell is employed in the unit, a portion of the pulpflows from the first cell, through a fixed coupling or connection, tothe second cell, and from both cells the separated values are floatedwith foam or froth to the'discharge trough for laundering, or disposedof in other suitable manner.

Means are provided for insuring a continuous movement or circulation ofthe pulp or gangue, for aerating and agitating the material to providethe froth or foam for the flotation process, for distributing theaerated and agitated material uniformly about the bottom portion of thecell ortank, and for. initiating and maintaining an equalized upwardflow of the aerated material toward the outlet from the cell or tank.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafter be more specifically set forth and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention, wherein the parts are combinedand arranged according to one mode I have thus far devised forthe'practical application of the principles of my invention, but it will beunderstood that various changes and alterations may be made and arecontemplated in the exemplifying structures, within the scope of myappended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing a separating unit comprising twocells or tanks, one of which is illustrated in section, parts beingomitted When tion of the operating' shaft and frame broken away, andshowing the drive pulley for the rotary head.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the rotary or centrifugal head thatperformsthe functions of aerating, mixing, separating, and distributingthe pulp in the lower portion of the tank or cell.

moved from the agitating chamber of the Cell, which quiets theturbulency of the agitated pulp preparatory to flotation of the valueswith the froth or foam.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the combined feed-trough andfeed-headfor introducing the pulp to the bottom portion of the tank orcell.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated two tanks or cells, I and 2, of similarconstruction, and similar interior arrangement, which are supported onsills 3, and provided with clean-out plugs 4 that are used to closedrain openings in the bottoms of the cells. These two cells or metallictanks i and 2 are joined together by a fixed coupling or connection 5for passage or flow of grangue or pulp from tank I to tank 2, and asimilar connection or coupling is attached at the feed or front end ofthe first tank I, for feeding the pulp to the tank. The coupling isfashioned with attaching flanges 6 and 1 that are bolted to the tanks land '2 when the coupling is employed between two tanks. At the left inFigure 1 the connection or fixture is bolted by means of flange 1, only,to

the tank, to form an inlet chute to the tank for chute in Figure 1 atthe left, over which the material or pulp is fed. Within the chute, andat opposite sides thereof are provided ribs and guide grooves 9 in whichis located a vertically adjustable gate ID that is adapted to co-actwith the partition to vary the height of the upper edge of the outletopening for pulp between two cells or tanks. The gate is verticallyadjusted through the use of a screw bar ll, having its lower endattached to the gate, and its upper end supported in a cross head 52secured at the top of a frame Ila that is attached to the sides of thechute 5 and supports the cross head [2 above the chute. A non-travelingnut l3, having a hand wheel I, is mounted on the upper end of the screwbar, and the nut is mounted at IS in a seat of the cross-headand-retained against longitudinal movement on the screw-bar. Thus,

by turning the hand wheel, the gate may be raised above the upper edgeof the partition 8, to elevate the overflow or outlet from one tank tothe other, and thus determine the level of the pulp in the first tank.

At its lower end the feed chute 5 is fashioned with an elbow or bendthat terminates in a port [6 opening to the interior of the tank, justabove the bottom of the tank, and this port is joined in suitable mannerto the open end of a closed feed trough ll located within the tank. Theentrance end of the feed trough is located just above the bottom of thetank, and a bend I8 is provided in the trough which declines to thefeed-head I9, to insure gravity flow of the pulp to the head. The feedhead is hollow, located at the approximate center of the cell or tank,and it is bolted,

as by flange 20 to the bottom of the tank; The hollow feed head has anopening in its bottom registering with the similar opening in the bottomof the tank and these openings are closed by the clean-out-plug 4.

The chute or feed trough H, as indicated in Figures 1 and '7 is providedwith a lateral intake port 2| to assist in circulation of the pulp, andthe hollow head is is fashioned with an outlet tube 22 which isconnected with a nipple 22' mounted in a wall of the tank, to whichnipple a return feed pipe is attached to return excess gangue or pulp tothe source of supply in appro-' priate manner.

By means of the upright chute and the horizontally disposed trough, thepulp or gangue is delivered to the feed-head l9 at the center of thebottom portion of the tank, and the pulp ascends through the head, andthrough a flanged bushing 23 which performs the functions of a fillerandwearring at the upper face of the feedhead, in which face the wearring is seated.

Directly above the feed-head is located a rotary, centrifugallyoperating, hollow head 24,

adapted to receive the material from the feedhead, and to perform thefunctions of agitating,

separating, aerating, and distributing the material, preparatory to theflotation ofthe values together with the froth or foam and ascent of thefroth and values to the surface levelof the contents of the tank.

At its underside thehead isfashioned with an intake chamber 25 locateddirectly over the outlet from the feed-head l9, and the agitator-head 24is. fashioned with upper and lower conical faceplates 26 and 21respectively, which impart a double-cone shape to the'head. Between thetwo face plates are located four upright, diametrically extendingpartitions 28 with their inner ends terminating at the entrance chamber25 and their outer ends or edges terminating at the annular orcircular'periphery of the rotary head, and between these diametricallyextending partitions, four outwardly flaring ports 29 are fashioned,through which the pulp is distributed into the agitation chamber formedin the bottom of the tank.

The rotary head forms an impeller, which receives thepulp from thefeed-head, and dis- The impeller is supported from above and issuspended in the tank, and for this purpose it is fashioned with acentral, interior, perforated boss 3| in which the lower, reduced end ofthe operating shaft 32 is secured by means of a nut 33.

In Figures 1 and 5 an air pipe 34 is mounted on the operating shaft toform an annular air space for introduction of air to the impeller. Thelower end of the air pipe is fixed in the upper part of the impeller andopens into a port 35 that communicates with the discharge ports 29 ofthe impeller, and an annular flange 36 on the impeller is provided toreceive the lower end of the pipe and insure a liquid-tight joint. Theoperating shaft and the air pipe depend through the pulp contained inthe tank or cell, and the upper, open end of the air pipe is locatedabove the liquid level of the tank for intake of air. The air pipe issupported at its upper end by suitable means, as spring fingers, orclamp lugs 31 secured to the pipe and bearing against the shaft. Air isinduced to flow down through the air pipe to the interior of theimpeller by suction due to the rotary motion of the impeller.

In Figure 2, the impeller is secured at the lower end of atubularoperating shaft 34' that supplies air to the impeller, and in both typesof shaft, suitable bearings as 38 are provided and a drive pulley ,39 isillustrated for revolving the operating shaft. 1

From this description it will be apparent that the rotating impellerreceives the pulp from the feed-head, and that the pulp is thoroughlyaerated within the impeller by air mixing with the pulp,

and that the aerated material is discharged from the impeller throughits flaring ports. The material is also agitated and the values areseparated, as the aerated pulp is whirled around by centrifugal actionof the impeller and discharged laterally into the tank, together withthe froth and foam thus formed.

To quiet the turbulency of the swirling discharges from the impeller Iprovide a baffle-ring .40 that surrounds the impeller at a suitabledistance therefrom, and this baffle ring is supported in stationaryposition by a number of lugs 4| that rest upon an annular flange 42fixed within the tank.

The inner periphery of the bafile ring is fashioned with integral,vertical, circumferentially spaced bafile plates 43, which form verticalspaces 44 between adjoining plates. Thus it will'be apparent that as thematerial is laterally discharged from the impeller, it is thrown intocon tact with the bafile ring, against the plates, and into the spacesbetween the plates, and'the turbulency or swirling movement of thematerial imparted thereto by the impeller is broken up. The separatedvalues, together with foam and froth, thus begin their ascent from thespaces between the baffle plates, and the plates form channels thatdirect the flotation of the material, upwardly, after it has been evenlydistributed by the impeller.

To aid in quieting the turbulency within the tank or cell, andespecially to prevent surging of the agitated pulp, I provide ahorizontally disposed screen or reticulated mat 45 supported on flanges46 that aresecured to the inner face of the tank-wall above the impellerand the bafllering, and the froth or foam, carrying the values, passesthrough this screen, ascending to the discharge opening or overflow lip41 in Figure 2, to a launder, or to another receptacle for furthertreatment. I

The gates in in the feed chute of the first cell, and between adjoiningcells, regulate the height of the pulp levels and maintain or controlthe levels, under. adjustment through the instrumentality of the handwheels M of the gates.

The gravity feed of material or pulp through the feed chute to the feedtrough, and thence to the feed head, supplies the separator withmaterial, and the suction caused by the rotation of the centrifugalimpeller pulls air down through the air supply pipe to the agitator heador impeller. Any material falling below the impeller ports may bereturned to the feed trough through the inlet 2|, and any excessmaterial is conveyed from the feed head through the return connection22, 22 to the source of supply.

In Figure 1 it will be seen that the upwardly flowing pulp and thedownwardly flowing air currents meet and commingle in the interior ofthe impeller or agitator head to insure thorough aeration of the pulp,and the action of the impeller in agitating the material separates thefines or values from the gross. and at the same time forms the froth orfoam for the flotation of the values. The separated and aerated pulp isdischarged through'the ports of the impeller into the pockets or spaces44 of the bafile ring, and

- at this point begins the ascension of the foam or froth. The pocketsor spaces 44 are of suflicient area and depth as to receive and separatethe discharged material into divided portions, and thereby the swirlingmovement of the discharged material is arrested, and the pulp is thenpermitted to ascend in currents for the formation of the flotationprocess.

As thus constructed and arranged the separator is comparatively simplein its operation and highly eflicient in the separation of the values,and where the cells are coupled together and used in pairs, as a unit, amaximum extraction of values is assured from the pulp, and any excessfeed of pulp is returned to the source of supply and again fed to theseparator. In this manner a continuous circulation of the closed type isafforded for the pulp without waste and under regulated control. Whenoperating with pulp carrying a precious metal content,as gold, I providea catch.basin or receptacle disposed on the underside of the bottom ofthe cell and located directly below the feed-head l9 and incommunication therewith.

This basin will permit the heavier metals and mineral content of .thepulp to settle and be concentrated in a small area at the extreme bottomof the basin.

In the illustration, Figure 1, on the right hand cell, and in Figure 2,I have illustrated one form of a catch basin 48 which is formed withslanting sides terminating in a restricted area at the bottom thereofand provided with a valve 49 through which the collected material may beremoved from the cell.

The-valve may be of any suitable form to open and permit passage of thematerial from the basin. A water pipe 50 is utilized to inject a streamof water under a desired pressure into the basinand provide a liftingaction for the pulp or material that settles into this area.

The heavy, precious metals will not be affected by this lifting actionand are allowed to settle to the bottom of the basin along with suchcoarser mineral in the pulp as will not be affected by the lift of theimpeller.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mineral separator, the combination of an enclosing tank, aninterior feed-head having an outlet port in its upper face, acentrifugal impeller having an intake port in its lower face directlyover said outlet port, means for supply ing air to the impeller, saidimpeller having lateral discharge ports above its intake port, a bailiering elevated above the bottom of the tank and supported therein, saidring forming a solid wall and surrounding the impeller, and spacedvertically arranged radially projecting plates on the inner side of saidring forming guide grooves adjacent the lateral discharge ports.

2. In a mineral separator, the combination of an enclosing tank andmeans for feeding pulp thereto including a head having an. outlet portin its upper face, a centrifugal impeller comprising a hollow headhaving a closed upper face and an intakeport in its lower face directlyover said outlet port, a series of interior partitions radiating fromthe open center of said impeller head and forming lateral dischargeports, a baiiie ring elevated above the bottom of the tank and supportedtherein, said ring forming a solid wall surrounding the impeller andspaced from its lateral discharge ports. and vertically arrangedintegral spaced plates projecting radially from the interior face of thering and forming guide grooves adjacent the lateral discharge ports.-

' HARRY J. MAcCAMY.

